Failure
by WayToPretty
Summary: His failures always led to great tragedy. But what many did not know was that one failure cost him the woman that he loves. And he hated himself everyday since then. However, after two years of silently watching his pain, the woman who loves Percy Jackson was about to take action.
1. No Hero

The young man looked out at the horizon; at the one line that separated and divided the wide ocean and the endless sky. If anyone really thought about it, they would marvel at how this one line so clearly displayed the relationship between the two domains. The two brothers.

Poseidon and Zeus.

Having both been born from the Titan of Time and the Queen of Heaven, this ensured that they both shared various similarities but what divided the two so severely like that one line displayed with their domains, was Zeus's paranoia and Poseidon's temper. Millennium after millennium went by and Zues could never trust his brother, always fearing the possibility of being toppled from his throne. And Poseidon, although he possessed the quality of always being loyal to his family till the last of his essence would fade, he would allow the flaw of his temper to overpower him. To allow it to cloud his judgement.

These two flaws divided the brothers in such a way that could not be described in words. And this was clearly shown by the wars that brew over time. But what many did not know was that one young man had changed all this. Millennia's of controversy had been forgotten between the two brothers and a new bond had been formed. Between not only these two son's of Kronos but all fourteen Olympians. And this was all due to the son of the sea god, Perseus Jackson. With the mere fact that he is one of the greatest heroes to have ever walked on Earth. With his good will, loyalty and his compassion, he had opened the eyes of all fourteen deities and had taught them the lesson that it was acceptable to have a mortal side. To have that part of them that displayed their emotions and vulnerabilities. And this tied the Olympians to one another and strengthened their family in a way that not even the Titaness Rhea or her daughter Hera would ever had envisioned.

But the Queen of the Gods not only had never envisioned this bond between her family, she would also had never envisioned seeing her brother in pain.

Poseidon. The old sea god.

He was the one amongst the fourteen that was the most carefree. He usually had that big, goofy smile on his face that could lighten up anyone's day. But at this point in time, he would always brood and be stuck in his thoughts. The sea god's deep sea green eyes that shone in various ways to show his mood had turned so dark that one would easily compare it to the entrance of the dark pit that is Tartarus. For he was grieving. Grieving for his favourite son and what he had become.

Broken.

* * *

On the shore of Camp Half Blood, sat the young man who had unknowingly changed all fourteen deities with his actions. Perseus Jackson. He stared at the horizon and watched as the large ocean waves were churning and beating the shore mercilessly, like the ocean itself was not happy. And that was an understatement of what Perseus Jackson was feeling at that point in time. If someone asked him how he felt, he would honestly have no idea on how to answer.

Emotions rolled through him like a kaleidoscope. Rage. Regret. Grief. And deep sadness that soaked into his very core.

It had been a month since the second Titan war had ended and things had already begun changing at Camp Half Blood. Cabins were built, demi-gods were claimed and the camp had that feeling of serenity and excitement, that things were finally going to start becoming better. But what had not changed was that feeling within Percy. That feeling that haunted him since the battle of Manhattan had ended.

The feeling of failure. That he had failed. That he could have done more. That one feeling consumed him. It would go on to the point where his insides would be squeezed so hard from the pain of his failure that he could not breathe. Throughout the five years that Percy had lived, after finding out he was a demi-god, the son of Poseidon, many lives were lost. _Bianca, Zoë, Beckendorf, Luke.. _And many more. He knew that there was no way possible that he could have saved all of those that lost their lives in the war. After all that was impossible.

But if only..

He stopped the thoughts before they rolled round and round in his head like a endless Ferris wheel. But there was one thing that Percy Jackson knew for sure; he believed it with every fibre in his being.

He was not the _'Hero Of Olympus'_. He was no hero. He was nothing but a failure. And with that final thought, the young man turned his back at the distressed ocean and walked away.

**Soo I have edited it and have added a lot more, so tell me what you think pleeease! Hope you like it x **

**- WayToPretty. **


	2. Hatred

The daughter of Zues, the daughter of Athena and the son of Hades all sat on the bleachers of the arena, watching. Watching a person they all cared so much about wear himself down. Destroy himself. That person?

He was Percy Jackson.

The young man who had the responsibility of the Great Prophecy thrust onto his shoulders at the age of thirteen. And the year before? He was stopping a full- fledged civil war between the Olympians. He truly was a hero, a martyr.

However, the three powerful demi-gods who watched him in the arena were concerned.

Worried.

For it had been one month since the war had ended and since then their friend had become quiet. He had withdrawn himself and stopped being the classic Seaweed Brain that he was. He hardly spoke and when he did, you would look at him and wonder _'is this really Percy?'_ But one thing that not only these three but many others had noticed, was that after the war, Percy had this new sense of determination. And that determination was now focused on training. Everyday, he would descend into the arena and train for hours and hours until his body would be exhausted. That was his life. Every day. Sleep. Eat. Train. And he continued to do this day in, day out.

But as the three sat there, another matter increased their concerns. For Percy Jackson was known as many things, he was goofy, mischievous, slow – this was where the names Seaweed Brain and Kelp Head came from but despite all this, Percy was amazing on the battlefield. His battle instincts were considered the best and not one single person wouldn't want this man watching their back in the midst of battle. But for the past hour, the three demi-gods had sat in the arena silently watching Percy and not once had he noticed them. It was as if he was an automaton, programmed to just train and train.

However, being a demi-god, this disables you to stay still and quiet for very long and soon enough, Thalia, the daughter of Zues had enough. She got up and stormed up to one of her best friends who was slowly demolishing himself.

'Just what the fuck do you think you are doing, Jackson?' Thalia growled at Percy.

'Training.' Percy stated whilst continuing to thrash at the dummies with Riptide.

'No shit, Sherlock. But that was not what I meant! … What's happened to you? You've changed since the war.' She told him, softening as she mentioned the recent war, knowing the impact it had on her friend.

Percy stiffened and stopped his training for a second and looked at her in disbelief and anger, he couldn't even fathom how she could come up to him and say that.

'Well, what did you expect, Thals? After the war I would be all sunshine and rainbows?'

'No..' she whispered, taken back from his anger. But she regained her composure and said to him.

'We won the war Perce. We won. And its over. Do you hear me?' she spoke as she grabbed his chin and made him look at her.

'Its over. So you have to try and move on, if not for our sake then for all those demi-gods who lost their lives in the war. Ok?'

Percy sighed and ran a hand through his messy black locks of hair, he had to agree with what Thalia was saying but it was so hard. This idea of moving on. After all, he constantly felt as if he was in a black abyss. And the black abyss was like its own entity, slowly closing in on him until he was suffocating in the pain. He sighed once more and decided to tell Thalia that he promised to try but that's when she spoke once more, enraging him to the point where his anger would rival Poseidon's on a worst day.

'After all, no one wants to see the _Hero Of Olympus_ be-' but she was cut off as Percy had Riptide at her throat and was hissing at her.

'Don't. _Ever_. Call. Me. That. Understood?'

She nodded through the shock and as the son of Poseidon walked away, there was once again three pairs of excessively worried eyes watching him.

* * *

Percy Jackson walked as fast as he could to the beach at Camp Half Blood. As he reached the water he quickly dived in and swam and swam till he found what he was looking for. After the war, Percy couldn't stand all the praise and awe looks others would give him for his participation in the war and his so called status as the mighty 'Hero Of Olympus' so he would always enter the water, the one place that usually gave him some sense of peace and he would explore.

After exploring for days on end, Percy had come across a sea cave. Its split opening was hidden carefully due to the roaring waterfall. Percy thought this place was perfect, it was his own sanctuary and was now one of the few places that he spent most of his time at. As he entered the cave and sat at the edge of the opening, the air in the room was silent and still. He couldn't believe that he had snapped at Thalia. She was one of his best friends! But when she had spoken those three words that mocked him every day. Percy had lost it. He had flashed to that day after the war when he was in his cabin and all he could hear was the voices of those who had died in the war. They mocked him and taunted him. Asking him, why? Why didn't he save them? He was suppose to be the hero! And as these voices re-entered his mind, Percy saw red. And snapped at Thalia. But as he replayed the conversation in his head, he knew that it was not Thalia who he was angry at.

It was himself.

Because the voices or his consciousness or whatever the fuck it was were right, why didn't he save them? He was suppose to be the hero, so why was he so useless that he couldn't save them?

He was disgusted at himself.

Which is why he just existed in this world. This was his life, his penance, his punishment. Wake, eat, train, eat, train, sleep. An endless cycle with one action bleeding into the other. Indistinguishable and mundane. His life was empty, but what did it matter?

He hated himself.

He lived in darkness. And not just because he had failed his friends, there was another reason.. Something that not a single person but her knew, not even the gods. For Percy had fallen in love and because of his fucking mistake, he had failed to save her and lost her forever. And he hated himself everyday since then.


	3. Memories

The woman who held the heart of the young Hero Of Olympus stared out at the fields as she stroked the mane of a beautiful horse. She gazed at the silver and gold flowers blooming on the lawns. And as the grass rippled in rainbow colors.

Elysium.

This was the place that heroes always dreamed to be in after death. It was paradise. Only those who died a hero's death lived in peace in Elysium.

However, this woman despite dying a hero's death, she did not have peace. Being a hero in the fields of Elysium, this allowed you to have some special privileges. And one of them was being able to glimpse into the living world and being able to watch their loved ones.

And as she watched the man who held her heart, Percy Jackson go through life as an automaton. Blaming himself. She was sorrowful and so very much concerned. She couldn't stand to see the man she had come to love with every fibre in her being, become this broken shell of a man.

She wished that she could do something. Help him. Beat that stubborn man till he finally got it through his thick skull that it was not his fault. Her death and all the others who he had cared about. It was not his fault!

However, she knew that if she made any move to help him, she could very much endanger his life.

Because their love was forbidden.

Why?

Because the woman who loved the son of Poseidon and vice versa was none other than..

The former lieutenant of Artemis, the maiden goddess of the hunt.

Zoë Nightshade.

* * *

As Percy lay in the water staring up at her constellation, memories swarmed through his mind like a cluster of bees. He closed his eyes and replayed the memory of the first time he laid eyes on his love.

_I heard a clear, piercing sound, which I didn't know at the time, would symbolize the start of how my life would change so drastically: the call of a hunting horn blowing in the woods. The manticore froze. For a moment, no one moved. There was only the swirl of snow and wind and the chopping of the helicopter blades._

_"No," Dr. Thorn said. "It cannot be—"_

_His sentence was cut short when something shot past me like a streak of moonlight. A glowing silver arrow sprouted from Dr. Thorn's shoulder. He staggered backward, wailing in agony._

_"Curse you!" Thorn cried._

_He unleashed his spikes, dozens of them at once, into the woods where the arrow had come from, but just as fast, silvery arrows shot back in reply. It almost looked like the arrows had intercepted the thorns in midair and sliced them in two, but my eyes must've been playing tricks on me. No one, not even Apollo's kids at camp, could shoot with that much accuracy. The manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. I tried to swipe at him with my sword, but he wasn't as injured as he looked. He dodged my attack and slammed his tail into my shield, knocking me aside. _

_Then the archers came from the woods. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen, like me. They wore silvery ski parkas and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions._

_"The Hunters!" Annabeth cried._

_Next to me, Thalia muttered, "Oh, wonderful."_

_I didn't have a chance to ask what she meant. One of the older archers stepped forward with her bow drawn. Her face was so beautiful it made me catch my breath. She was tall and graceful with coppery colored skin. Unlike the other girls, she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. A beautiful Persian Princess._

_"Permission to kill, my lady?"_

_I couldn't tell who she was talking to, because she kept her dazzling eyes on the manticore._

_The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."_

_"Not so," another girl said. This one was a little younger than me, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon, and her expression was stern and dangerous. _

_"The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the beautiful girl with the circlet. "Zoë, permission granted."_

_The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"_

_He lunged at Thalia and me, knowing we were weak and dazed._

_"No.'" Annabeth yelled, and she charged at the monster._

_"Get back, half-blood!" the girl with the circlet said. "Get out of the line of fire!"_

_But Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as Annabeth hung on for dear life._

_"Fire! "Zoë ordered._

_"No!" I screamed._

_And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness._

_"Annabeth!" I yelled._

_I started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire._

_Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but the girl with auburn hair just looked up calmly at the helicopter._

_"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."_

_She thrust out her hand, and the helicopter exploded into dust—no, not dusts. The black metal dissolved into a flock of birds—ravens, which scattered into the night._

_The Hunters advanced on us._

_The elegant one called Zoë stopped short when she saw Thalia. "You," she said with distaste._

_"Zoë Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger. "Perfect timing, as usual."_

_Zoë scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."_

_"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."_

_"Annabeth!" I yelled. "You have to let us save her!"_

_The auburn-haired girl turned toward me. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help."_

_I tried to struggle to my feet, but a couple of the girls held me down._

_"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said._

_"Let me go!" I demanded. "Who do you think you are?"_

_Zoë stepped forward as if to smack me._

_"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand."_

_The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."_

He chuckled at how since the first time he met Zoë till the time he defeated the Nemean Lion, with the quest member's help; she was cold. Beautifully cold due to her distrust in heroes.

He was grateful that he was able to pull down the walls that she had built around herself throughout the years. The memory of the first time she took down her walls played behind his eyelids.

_We sped up the river, the cliffs looming up on either side of us._

_"What happened to Bianca wasn't your fault," I told her. "It was my fault. I let her go." I figured this would give Zoë an excuse to start yelling at me. At least that might shake her out of feeling depressed. Because I couldn't stand to see her like that. _

_Instead, her shoulders slumped. "No, Percy. I pushed her into going on the quest. I was too anxious. She was a powerful half-blood. She had a kind heart, as well. I… I thought she would be the next lieutenant."_

_"But you're the lieutenant."_

_She gripped the strap of her quiver. She looked more tired than I'd ever seen her. "Nothing can last forever, Percy. Over two thousand years I have led the Hunt, and my wisdom has not improved. Now Artemis herself is in danger."_

_"Look, you can't blame yourself for that."_

_"If I had insisted on going with her—"_

_"You think you could've fought something powerful enough to kidnap Artemis? There's nothing you could have done."_

_Zoë didn't answer._

_The cliffs along the river were getting taller. Long shadows fell across the water, making it a lot colder, even though the day was bright. Without thinking about it, I took Riptide out of my pocket. Zoë looked at the pen, and her expression was pained._

_"You made this," I said._

_"Who told thee?"_

_"I had a dream about it."_

_She studied me. I was sure she was going to call me crazy, but she just sighed. _

"_It was a gift. And a mistake."_

_"Who was the hero?" I asked, curious._

_Zoë shook her head. "Do not make me say his name. I swore never to speak it again."_

_"You act like I should know him."_

_"I am sure you do, hero. Don't all you boys want to be just like him?"_

_Her voice was so bitter; I decided not to ask what she meant. I looked down at Riptide, and for the first time, I wondered if it was cursed._

_"Your mother was a water goddess?" I asked._

_"Yes, Pleione. She had five daughters .My sisters and I. The Hesperides."_

_"Those were the girls who lived in a garden at the edge of the West. With the golden apple tree and a dragon guarding it."_

_"Yes," Zoë said wistfully. "Ladon."_

_"But weren't there only four sisters'?"_

_"There are now. I was exiled. Forgotten. Blotted out as if I never existed."_

_"Why?"_

_Zoë pointed to my pen. "Because I betrayed my family and helped a hero. You won't find that in the legend either. He never spoke of me. After his direct assault on Ladon failed, I gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but he took all the credit."_

Percy growled at how Hercules could hurt such an amazing woman like Zoë. She was worth a thousand drachmas and he had thrown her away like an finished McDonalds wrapper.

But then he remembered that he was no different than Hercules. He had failed to save her. And with that thought, the memories of her death and the road that lead to it, replayed once more in his head.


	4. Memories Part 2

_"Ah, there you are, Percy," the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite."_

_I slipped into the seat across from her and said something like, "Um uh gah."_

_She smiled. "Aren't you sweet. Hold this, please."_

_She handed me a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and had me hold it up for her. She leaned forward and dabbed at her lipstick, though I couldn't see anything wrong with it._

_"Do you know why you're here?" she asked._

_I wanted to respond. Why couldn't I form a complete sentence? She was only a lady. A seriously beautiful lady. With eyes like pools of spring water… Whoa._

_I pinched my own arm, hard._

_"I… I don't know," I managed._

_"Oh, dear," Aphrodite said. "Still in denial?"_

_Outside the car, I could hear Ares chuckling. I had a feeling he could hear every word we said. The idea of him being out there made me angry, and that helped clear my mind._

_"I don't know what you're talking about," I said._

_"Well then, why are you on this quest?"_

_"Artemis has been captured!"_

_Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. Please. Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should be breathtakingly beautiful, don't you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!"_

_"But she was chasing a monster," I protested. "A really, really bad monster. We have to find it!"_

_Aphrodite made me hold the mirror a little higher. She seemed to have found a microscopic problem at the corner of her eye and dabbed at her mascara. _

_"Always some monster. But my dear Percy, that is why the others are on this quest. I'm more interested in you."_

_My heart pounded. I didn't want to answer, but her eyes were drawing an answer right out of my mouth. I had to come up with something to appease her. She couldn't find out the real reason I needed to go on this quest. Zoë. And Annabeth. Annabeth! _

_"Annabeth is in trouble."_

_Aphrodite beamed. "Exactly!"_

_"I have to help her," I said. "I've been having these dreams."_

_"Ah, you even dream about her! That's so cute!"_

_"No! I mean… that's not what I meant."_

_She made a tsk-tsk sound. "Percy, I'm on your side. I'm the reason you're here, after all."_

_I stared at her. "What?"_

_"The poisoned T-shirt the Stoll brothers gave Phoebe," she said. "Did you think that was an accident? Sending Blackjack to find you? Helping you sneak out of the camp?"_

_"You did that?"_

_"Of course! Because really, how boring these Hunters are! A quest for some monster, blah blah blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say. But a quest for true love—"_

_"Wait a second, I never said—"_

_"Oh, my dear. You don't need to say it. You do know Annabeth was close to joining the Hunters, don't you?"_

_"I wasn't sure—"_

_"She was about to throw her life away! And you, my dear, you can save her from that. It's so romantic!"_

_"Uh…"_

_"Oh, put the mirror down," Aphrodite ordered. "I look fine."_

_I hadn't realized I was still holding it, but as soon as I put it down, I noticed my arms were sore._

_"Now listen, Percy," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies. Forget them and Artemis and the monster. That's not important. You just concentrate on finding and saving Annabeth."_

_"Do you know where she is?"_

_Aphrodite waved her hand irritably. "No, no. I leave the details to you. But it's been ages since we've had a good tragic love story."_

_"Whoa, first of all, I never said anything about love. And second, what's up with tragic!"_

_"Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?"_

_"Didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?"_

_"Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart."_

_"But… I don't know where it's going. My heart, I mean." I lied. It was obvious that I could not let Aphrodite know about my feelings for the lieutenant of Artemis. _

_She smiled sympathetically. She really was beautiful. And not just because she had a pretty face or anything. She believed in love so much, it was impossible not to feel giddy when she talked about it._

_"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure whom you love and who loves you? Oh, you kids! It's so cute I'm going to cry."_

_"No, no," I said. "Don't do that."_

_"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait."_

_"That's really okay," I told her. "Don't go to any trouble."_

_"You're so cute. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as nice as you." Aphrodite's eyes were tearing up. _

_"Now, you'd better go. And do be careful in my husband's territory, Percy. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."_

_"What?" I asked. "You mean Hephaestus?"_

_But the car door opened and Ares grabbed my shoulder, pulling me out of the car and back into the desert night. My audience with the goddess of love was over._

_"You're lucky, punk." Ares pushed me away from the limo. "Be grateful."_

_"For what?"_

_"That we're being so nice. If it was up to me—"_

_"So why haven't you killed me?" I shot back. It was a stupid thing to say to the god of war, but being around him always made me feel angry and reckless._

_Ares nodded, like I'd finally said something intelligent._

_"I'd love to kill you, seriously," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might start the biggest war in history. I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're some kinda __soap-opera star or something. I kill you, that makes me look bad with her. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my promise. Some day soon, kid—real soon—you're going to raise your sword to fight, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."_

And the audience with the goddess of love was the start of the road to Zoë's death, thought Percy. If only he had not angered the god of war. Then he would not have that curse upon his sword and he would have been able to help Zoë when it came to the fight with her father, Atlas.

He knew that most would call him crazy for thinking that he could defy a prophecy _'and one shall perish by a parent's hand.' _

However, Percy knew that fate was never set in stone. So, surely he could have done something.

He could have saved her.

His thoughts were abruptly stopped when the memory of another failure of his replayed in his mind.

_Before she could answer, I heard a massive creaking noise, and a shadow blotted out the sky._

_"Move!" I tore down the hill, Bianca right behind me, as the giant's foot smashed a crater in the ground where we'd been hiding._

_"Hey, Talos!" Grover yelled, but the monster raised his sword, looking down at Bianca and me. Grover played a quick melody on his pipes. Over at the highway, the downed power lines began to dance. I understood what Grover was going to do a split second before it happened. One of the poles __with power lines still attached flew toward Talos's back leg and wrapped around his calf. The lines sparked and sent a jolt of electricity up the giant's backside._

_Talos whirled around, creaking and sparking. Grover had bought us a few seconds._

_"Come on!" I told Bianca. But she stayed frozen. From her pocket, she brought out a small metal figurine, a statue of a god. "It… it was for Nico. It was the only statue he didn't have."_

_"How can you think of Mythomagic at a time like this?" I said._

_There were tears in her eyes._

_"Throw it down," I said. "Maybe the giant will leave us alone."_

_She dropped it reluctantly, but nothing happened._

_The giant kept coming after Grover. It stabbed its sword into a junk hill, missing Grover by a few feet, but scrap metal made an avalanche over him, and then I couldn't see him anymore._

_"No!" Thalia yelled. She pointed her spear, and a blue arc of lightning shot out, hitting the monster in his rusty knee, which buckled. The giant collapsed, but immediately started to rise again. It was hard to tell if it could feel anything. There weren't any emotions in its half-melted face, but I got the sense that it was about as ticked off as a twenty-story-tall metal warrior could be._

_He raised his foot to stomp and I saw that his sole was treaded like the bottom of a sneaker. There was a hole in his heel, like a large manhole, and there were red words painted around it, which I deciphered only after the foot came down: FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY._

_"Crazy-idea time," I said._

_Bianca looked at me nervously. "Anything."_

_I told her about the maintenance hatch. "There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something._

"_I'm going to get inside."_

_"How? You'll have to stand under its foot! You'll be crushed"_

_"Distract it," I said. "I'll just have to time it right."_

_Bianca's jaw tightened. "No. I'll go."_

_You can't. You're new at this! You'll die."_

_"It's my fault the monster came after us," she said. "It's my responsibility. Here." She picked up the little god statue and pressed it into my hand. "If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him… tell him I'm __sorry."_

_"Bianca, no!"_

_But she wasn't waiting for me. She charged at the monster's left foot. Thalia had its attention for the moment. She'd learned that the giant was big but slow. If you could stay close to it and not get smashed, you could run around it and stay alive. At least, it was working so far._

_Bianca got right next to the giant's foot, trying to balance herself on the metal scraps that swayed and shifted with his weight._

_Zoë yelled, "What are you doing?"_

_"Get it to raise its foot!" she said._

_Zoë shot an arrow toward the monster's face and it flew straight into one nostril. The giant straightened and shook its head._

_"Hey, Junk Boy!" I yelled. "Down here."_

_I ran up to its big toe and stabbed it with Riptide. The magic blade cut a gash in the bronze._

_Unfortunately, my plan worked. Talos looked down at me and raised his foot to squash me like a bug. I didn't see what Bianca was doing. I had to turn and run. The foot came down about two inches behind me and I was knocked into the air. I hit something hard and sat up, dazed. I'd been thrown into an Olympus-Air refrigerator._

_The monster was about to finish me off, but Grover somehow dug himself out of the junk pile. He played his pipes frantically, and his music sent another power line pole whacking against Talos's thigh. The monster turned. Grover should've run, but he must've been too exhausted from the effort of so much __magic. He took two steps, fell, and didn't get back up._

_"Grover!" Thalia and I both ran toward him, but I knew we'd be too late._

_The monster raised his sword to smash Grover. Then he froze._

_Talos cocked his head to one side, like he was hearing strange new music. He started moving his arms and legs in weird ways, doing the Funky Chicken. _

_Then he made a fist and punched himself in the face._

_"Go, Bianca!" I yelled._

_Zoë looked horrified. "She is inside ?"_

_The monster staggered around, and I realized we were still in danger. Thalia and I grabbed Grover and ran with him toward the highway. Zoë was already ahead of us. She yelled, "How will Bianca get out?"_

_The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his sword. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered toward the power lines._

_"Look out!" I yelled, but it was too late._

_The giant's ankle snared the lines, and blue flickers of electricity shot up his body. I hoped the inside was insulated. I had no idea what was going on in there. The giant careened back into the junkyard, and his right hand fell off, landing in the scrap metal with a horrible CLANG!_

_His left arm came loose, too. He was falling apart at the joints._

_Talos began to run._

_"Wait!" Zoë yelled. We ran after him, but there was no way we could keep up. Pieces of the robot kept falling off, getting in our way._

_The giant crumbled from the top down: his head, his chest, and finally, his legs collapsed. When we reached the wreckage we searched frantically, yelling Bianca's name. We crawled around in the vast hollow pieces and the legs and the head. We searched until the sun started to rise, but no luck._

_Zoë sat down and wept. I was stunned to see her cry. But I knew that I never wanted to see her like that again. _

_Thalia yelled in rage and impaled her sword in the giant's smashed face._

_"We can keep searching," I said. "It's light now. We'll find her."_

_"No we won't," Grover said miserably. "It happened just as it was supposed to."_

_"What are you talking about?" I demanded._

_He looked up at me with big watery eyes. "The prophecy. One shall he lost in the land without rain ."_

_Why hadn't I seen it? Why had I let her go instead of me?_

_Here we were in the desert. And Bianca diAngelo was gone._

The young daughter of Hades.

Some would argue that the daughter of the dead was not that young but in the eyes of Percy Jackson, she was just that fourteen-year-old girl that he promised to look after.

And then he failed.

Percy chuckled bitterly as he thinks of how this was just one of the many times that his failures would cause such tragedy.

But once again his thoughts were halted as his favourite memory played.

_I looked at Zoë. "What did he mean…'You know where to go'?"_

_Her face was the colour of the fog. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer._

_"The garden of my sisters," she said. "I must go home."_

_She steeled herself making it look as if she was confident and strong, which she was but in reality I knew she was afraid. She had not seen her family in centuries. _

_She silently stood there as we decided that Grover would protect and take the Ophiotaurus to Long Island, I told Thalia to go look for some food, as we needed it for the camp tonight. _

_I walked over to Zoë and asked. 'How are you?'_

'_Fine.'_

'_Zoë. I know that your scared and it is alright to be.'_

'_Who are thee to tell me I have fear?' she demanded. _

_I looked at her and saw behind the mask that she had on. Emotions flashed through her eyes. Fear. Panic. And acceptance..? _

'_Because although you may not like it, I know you Zoë. So talk to me.' _

_She deflated once she realized that I was not going to let this go. 'Thee are right. I am afraid. The last time I saw my family they were disowning me.'_

'_But this time, you are not alone. This time you have Thalia and I.. Well you have me.' I smiled._

_A smile stretched across her face, making her more beautiful as she sat underneath the moonlight. But the moonlight only served as a reminder for the fact that this woman was a hunter. One of Artemis's most loyal hunters. _

_Zoë through all these thoughts had not noticed my internal conflict to do with her. And looked up at me with gratefulness. _

'_Thank you, Percy Jackson. You were correct. You are nothing like Hercules.' _

'_No problem, Zoë.' I smiled and moved to get up and help Thalia with her search for food when Zoë grabbed onto my wrist. _

'_Wait!' I looked at her and watched as she was battling some sort of internal conflict. But soon enough it seemed as she had won that battle and her eyes only displayed steel determination. _

'_I have something to tell thee.'_

'_What?'_

'_I…' she stopped as if she couldn't get the words out. _

'_What is it?' I was concerned now, wondering if something was wrong with her. _

_She smiled as she noticed that I was concerned. She cupped my face with both of her hands, looked into my sea-green eyes and spoke the three words that I thought not even in my dreams she would say. 'I love thee.' _

_My eyes widened displaying my shock. She loves me. She loves me! That was all that ran through my mind as I realized that she was watching me. I saw that she was starting to build back those walls again thinking that I didn't feel the same way. _

_I smiled and stared back at her dazzling brown eyes and whispered. 'I love thee, too.'_

_Her face lit up and she laughed at my try on speaking Old English. I was so happy but one question weighted heavily on my mind. _

'_Zoë, I love that you feel the same way about me but what about Artemis?'_

_A shadow passed across her face but as soon as it came it was once again gone. _

'_Thee shall not worry about it. For when the time comes, thee will be alright.' Percy had a feeling that she was not talking about the goddess of the hunt and was mentioning something completely different._

_However, before he could voice his concerns, she kissed him. At this time, neither of them, expect for Zoë who had some idea, knew that this would be the last time they would have a moment like this again. _

_So they simply lost themselves within that kiss. Expressing all their love for the other and just simply for once being just Percy and Zoë. Not the son of Poseidon or the lieutenant of Artemis. Just Percy and Zoë. Two people who loved each other. _

_And that bought joy to the both of them. _


	5. Goodbye

Percy smiled as he remembered the night that he considered as one of his favourite memories. The night that he and Zoë had expressed there love for one another.

He wished that he had more time with her. More time to have happy and serene moments with her. But of course, his failures had cost him the one thing that he loves more than anything in the world.

Her.

The final moments that he had with her once again played in his mind.

_"The apples of immortality," Thalia said. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."_

_I wanted to step right up and pluck one, except for the dragon coiled around the tree._

_Now, I don't know what you think of when I say dragon. Whatever it is, it's not scary enough. The serpent's body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had more heads than I could count, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together. He appeared to be asleep. The heads lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed._

_Then the shadows in front of us began to move. There was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. I reached for Riptide, but Zoë stopped my hand._

_Four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoë. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders. I once again was struck by just how beautiful Zoë was when I saw her siblings, the Hesperides. They looked just like Zoë—gorgeous, and probably very dangerous. _

_"Sisters," Zoë said._

_"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see two half-bloods and a Hunter. All of whom shall soon die."_

_"You've got it wrong." I stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."_

_The girls studied me. They had eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black. "Perseus Jackson," one of them said._

_Yes," mused another. "I do not see why he is a threat."_

_"Who said I was a threat?"_

_The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee."_

_She pointed at Thalia._

_"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."_

_"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."_

_"Not without Annabeth," Thalia said._

_"And Artemis," Zoë said. "We must approach the mountain."_

_"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."_

_"Artemis must be freed," Zoë insisted. "Let us pass."_

_The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."_

_"He will not hurt me," Zoë said._

_"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"_

_Then Zoë did the last thing I expected. She shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"_

_The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered. The lead girl said to Zoë, "Are you mad?"_

_"You never had any courage, sister," Zoë said. "That is thy problem."_

_The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoë took a step forward, her arms raised._

_"Zoë, don't," Thalia said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."_

_"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoë said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."_

_"Should," I said, concerned. "Not exactly reassuring."_

_"It is the only way," she said. "Even the three of us together cannot fight him."_

_Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once sent a shiver down my back, and that was before his breath hit me. The smell was like acid. It made my eyes burn, my skin crawl, and my hair stand on end. I remembered the time a rat had died inside our apartment wall in New York in the middle of the summer. This stench was like that, except a hundred times stronger, and mixed with the smell of chewed eucalyptus. I promised myself right then that I would never ask a school nurse for another cough drop._

_I wanted to draw my sword. But then I remembered my dream of Zoë and Hercules, and how Hercules had failed in a head-on assault. I decided to trust Zoë's judgment. Thalia went left. I went right. Zoë walked straight toward the monster._

_"It's me, my little dragon," Zoë said. "Zoë has come back."_

_Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing. Dragon confusion. Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered,_

_"Fool."_

_"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoë continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"_

_The dragon's eyes glinted._

_Thalia and I were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, I could see a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain. The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis for the whole world._

_We'd almost made it out of the meadow when something went wrong. I felt the dragon's mood shift. Maybe Zoë got too close. Maybe the dragon realized he was hungry. Whatever the reason, he lunged at Zoë. I held in a breath as all I could do was watch. _

_Two thousand years of training kept her alive. She dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as she ran in our direction, gagging from the monster's horrible breath._

_I drew Riptide to help._

_"No!" Zoë panted. "Run!"_

_The dragon snapped at her side, and Zoë cried out. Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoë sprinted past us up the mountain, and we followed._

_The dragon didn't try to pursue. He hissed and stomped the ground, but I guess he was well trained to guard that tree. He wasn't going to be lured off even by the tasty prospect of eating some heroes._

_We ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows behind us. The music didn't sound so beautiful to me now—more like the sound track for a funeral._

_At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted._

_"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe._

_"Yes," Zoë said. "It was not here before. This is bad."_

_"What's Mount Othrys?" I asked, feeling like a fool as usual._

_"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Zoë said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" She winced and held her side._

_"You're hurt," I said, suddenly very concerned. "Let me see."_

_"No! It is nothing. I was saying… in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces" I reluctantly let it go.. for now. _

_"But… how is it here?"_

_Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked our way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways. "It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good."_

_"Why?"_

_"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoë said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair._

_"Where he used to hold up the sky."_

_We had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of us, grey clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. This is what I had seen in my dream. It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world._

_"My lady!" Zoë rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now." Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. I had never seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis._

_Zoë was crying, every tear paining my heart. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains._

_A booming voice spoke behind us: "Ah, how touching."_

_We turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat._

_I met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending me, though: RUN._

_"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."_

_Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."_

_Thalia spat at him._

_The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoë. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."_

_"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."_

_"Wait a second," I said. "You're Atlas?"_

_The General glanced at me. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."_

_"You're not going to hurt Zoë." I said, with a great amount of conviction. "I won't let you."_

_The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter." I frowned. "A family matter?"_

_"Yes," Zoë said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."_

_The horrible thing was: I could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil. He was all the things I'd originally disliked about Zoë, with none of the good I'd come to appreciate and love._

_"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded._

_Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."_

_Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."_

_Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers._

_"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."_

_"I don't understand," I said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"_

_Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."_

_He approached us, studying Thalia and me. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."_

_"Fight us," I said. "And let's see."_

_"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."_

_"So you're another coward," I said._

_Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. _

_He pointed toward the ocean, and my heart fell. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestry gonians, __monsters and half bloods, hellhounds, harpies, and other things I couldn't even name. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than I'd seen on board last summer._

_And they were marching toward us. In a few minutes, they would be here._

_"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."_

_For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain, as if the only thing she then she levelled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."_

_"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me… Don't make him destroy you." There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, we would be overwhelmed. I met Annabeth's eyes again. She nodded. I looked at Thalia and Zoë, and I decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting with friends and my love like this. "Now," I said._

_Together, we charged._

_Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon-women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power._

_As for me, I did the stupidest thing in my life, which is saying a lot. I attacked the Titan Lord Atlas. He laughed as I approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"_

_"Percy!" Zoë yelled in warning. "Beware!"_

_I knew what she was warning me about. Chiron had told me long ago: Immortals are constrained by ancient rules. But a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve . Once I attacked, however, Atlas was free to attack back directly, with all his might. I swung my sword, and Atlas knocked me aside with the shaft of his javelin. I flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real._

_"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoë's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"_

_The mention of Ares sent a jolt through me. I shook off my daze and charged again. If I could get to that pool of water, I could double my strength. The javelins point slashed toward me like a scythe. I raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but my arm felt like lead. My sword suddenly weighed a ton. And I remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago: When you need it most, your sword will fail you ._

_Not now! I pleaded. But it was no good. I tried to dodge, but the javelin caught me in the chest and sent flying like a rag doll. I slammed into the ground, my head spinning. I looked up and found I was at the feet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky._

_"Run, boy," she told me. "You must run!"_

_Atlas was taking his time coming toward me. My sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. It might reappear in my pocket—maybe in a few seconds—but it didn't matter. I'd be dead by then. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands._

_"Die, little hero," Atlas said._

_He raised his javelin to impale me._

_"No!" Zoë yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor._

_"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter._

_I reached down and felt Riptide back in my pocket. I couldn't fight Atlas, even with a sword. And then a chill went down my back. I remembered the words of the prophecy: The Titan's curse must one withstand . I couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance._

_"The sky," I told the goddess. "Give it to me."_

_"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"_

_"Annabeth took it!"_

_"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."_

_"I'll die anyway," I said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"_

_I didn't wait for her answer. I took out Riptide and slashed through her chains. Then I stepped next to her and braced myself on one knee—holding up my hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For an moment, Artemis and I bore the weight together. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever felt, as if I were being crushed under a thousand trucks. I wanted to black out from the pain, but I breathed deeply. I can do this ._

_Then Artemis slipped out from under the burden, and I held it alone. Afterward, I tried many times to explain what it felt like. I couldn't. Every muscle in my body turned to fire. My bones felt like they were melting. I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the strength to open my mouth. I began to sink, lower and lower to the ground, the sky's weight crushing me._

_Fight back! Grover's voice said inside my head. Don't give up. I concentrated on breathing. If I could just keep the sky aloft a few more seconds. I thought about Bianca, who had died. Because of that, I could hold the sky. My vision turned fuzzy. Everything was tinged with red. I caught glimpses of the battle, but I wasn't sure if I was seeing clearly. There was Atlas in full battle armor, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought .And Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she __slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace. She seemed to change form as she maneuvered. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Or perhaps that was just my fevered brain. Zoë shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armor. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting._

_Thalia and Luke went spear on sword, lightning still flashing around them. Thalia pressed Luke back with the aura of her shield. Even he was not immune to it. He retreated, wincing and growling in frustration._

_"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You never could beat me, Luke."_

_He bared his teeth. "Well see, my old friend."_

_Sweat poured down my face. My hands were slippery. My shoulders would've screamed with agony if they could. I felt like the vertebrae in my spine were being welded together by a blowtorch._

_Atlas advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her. She was leading him back toward me. Get ready, she spoke in my mind. __I was losing the ability to think through the pain. My response was something like Agggghh-owwwwwwww ._

_"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."_

_He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. I saw the trick coming. Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill._

_"No!" Zoë screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks._

_I wanted to shout her name, run to her aid, but I couldn't speak or move. I couldn't even see where Zoë had landed. Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up._

_"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward. As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her, I saw him coming down on top of me and I realized what would happen. I loosened my grip on the sky, and as __Atlas slammed into me I didn't try to hold on. I let myself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all I was worth._

_The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late._

_"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!" Atlas was trapped under his old burden. I tried to stand and fell back again, dazed from pain. My body felt like it was burning up._

_One of the giants looked up and growled, "Kill them!"_

_Thalia was stiff with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks. I pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over our heads. We ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as we passed._

_"Artemis!" I yelled._

_The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's. Zoë lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open. But still… My heart stopped for a secound when I saw my beautiful Zoë like that. _

_"The wound is poisoned," Artemis said._

_"Atlas poisoned her?" I asked._

_"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."_

_She showed us the wound in Zoë's side. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about her scrape with Ladon the dragon. The bite was much worse than Zoë had let on. I could barely look at the wound. She had charged into battle __against her father with a horrible cut already sapping her strength. I hissed a curse under my breathe for my stupidity._

_"The stars," Zoë murmured. "I cannot see them."_

_"Nectar and ambrosia," I said. "Come on! We have to get her some." No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. We might've met our doom right there, but then I heard a strange buzzing noise._

_Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sop with Camel swooped down out of the sky._

_"Get away from my daughter!" Dr. Chase called down, and his machine guns burst to life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering._

_"Dad?" yelled Annabeth in disbelief._

_"Run!" he called back, his voice growing fainter as the biplane swooped by. This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the antique plane, which was now banking around for another strafe._

_"A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get Zoë away from here." She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoë's eyes were fluttering._

_"Hang in there!" I told her. "It'll be all right!"_

_The Sop with Camel swooped down again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight between the wings of the plane, but the machine guns blazed. I realized with amazement that somehow Dr. Chase must've gotten hold of celestial bronze to fashion his bullets. The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder._

_"That's… my dad!" Annabeth said in amazement. We didn't have time to admire his flying. The giants and snake women were already recovering from their surprise. Dr. Chase would be in trouble soon. _

_Just then, the moonlight brightened, and a silver chariot appeared from the sky._

_"Annabeth, Percy," Thalia interrupted. Her voice was urgent. She and Artemis were kneeling at Zoë's side, binding the huntress's wounds. Annabeth and I ran over to help, but there wasn't much we could do. We had no ambrosia or nectar. No regular medicine would help. It was dark, but I could see that Zoë didn't look good. She was shivering, and the faint glow that usually hung around her was fading._

_"Can't you heal her with magic?" I asked Artemis. "I mean… you're a goddess."_

_Artemis looked troubled. "Life is a fragile thing, Percy. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little I can do. But I can try."_

_She tried to set her hand on Zoë's side, but Zoë gripped her wrist. She looked into the goddess's eyes, and some kind of understanding passed between them._

_"Have I… served thee well?" Zoë whispered. No! I wanted to scream. She was accepting this fate. I couldn't believe it.. I couldn't lost Zoë! Not now. _

_"With great honor," Artemis said softly. "The finest of my attendants."_

_Zoë's face relaxed. "Rest at last."_

_"I can try to heal the poison, my brave one."_

_But in that moment, I knew it wasn't just the poison that was killing her. It was her father's final blow. Zoë had known all along that the Oracle's prophecy was about her: she would die by a parent's hand. And yet she'd taken the quest anyway. She had chosen to save me, and Atlas's fury had broken her inside. I couldn't believe it.. _

_She saw Thalia, and took her hand. "I am sorry we argued," Zoë said. "We could have been sisters."_

_"It's my fault," Thalia said, blinking hard. "You were right about Luke, about heroes, men—everything."_

_"Perhaps not all men," Zoë murmured. She smiled weakly at me. "Do you still have the sword, Percy?" I couldn't speak, my throat was constricting with emotion from what was happening, but I brought out Riptide and put the pen in her hand. She grasped it contentedly. "You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like… like Hercules. I am honoured that you carry this sword." As she spoke she had an grasp on my wrist, she was tapping my wrist, something she had taught me days ago, which now seemed like an eternity, to express the words that she could not say in front of the others. 'I love thee.' She looked at me and I could see all the love in her dazzling brown eyes but I also saw was pain. _

_A shudder ran through her body. I tapped back the same message to her and closed my eyes to stop the tears from spilling. _

_"Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady." _

_A tear trickled down Artemis's cheek. "Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight."_

_"Stars," Zoë repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again. I nearly fell to my knees from the pain that I was feeling from losing Zoë. _

_Thalia lowered her head. Annabeth gulped down a sob, and her father put his hands on her shoulders. I watched as Artemis cupped her hand above Zoë's mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoë's lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. Zoë's body shimmered and disappeared. Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the __sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished._

_For a moment I didn't see anything different. Then Annabeth gasped. Looking up in the sky, I saw that the stars were brighter now. They made a pattern I had never noticed before—a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl's figure—a girl with a bow, running across the sky._

_"Let the world honor you, my Huntress," Artemis said. "Live forever in the stars."_

Unconsciously, as the memory of Zoë's last moments played in his mind, Percy rubbed his chest as the ghostly pain seem to wrench his heart in two. The young man did not seem to be too affected as this was a feeling that he had grown accustomed to after Zoë's death.

And as he continued to rub his chest, one lone tear slipped past the son of Poseidon's eye and slowly slid down his cheek.

* * *

Zoë's heart throbbed within her chest as she saw the tear trace down her love's cheek. She couldn't stand to see him like this.

The Percy Jackson that she knew and came to love was strong, brave, spirited, obtuse and so much more.

But this man that she was watching at this point in time was angry, sad, bitter. But most importantly.

Broken.

He was in pain and she couldn't believe that she was uselessly sitting in Elysium watching..

Zoë steeled herself as she made a decision.

She knew this could possible make someone who was like her mother hate her and this could cause much controversy but as she once again looked at Percy laying in the water, not moving to wipe that tear away, Zoë knew deep within her that she couldn't let him feel this way any longer.

She is in love with that man and that meant sacrifice. And on the plus side, after all this, she would be able to help Percy. Help him move on. For Zoë was about to do the unthinkable. She was going to cash in her clause.

And that meant calling a meeting with the Olympian council.


	6. Breathe Of Life

As Zoë walked into the mass throne room she was agitated and her stomach was rolling and roaring with little butterflies. Emotions flashed through her and she had to admit it.

She was scared.

Scared of what would occur today. After all, all these years she kept silent in Elysium was to avoid danger and controversy. And here she was throwing that all under the bus.

The outcome of this meeting will determine many things and if Zoë were to be completely honest, she was shaking within her hunter boots with apprehension.

But what she dreaded the most?

Was what her lady would say.

The individual who had taken her in, given her a family. Someone who was like a mother to her. What would she say when the knowledge that Zoë had broken her vow and fallen in love? That her most loyal huntress had betrayed her.

She briefly wondered if she could do this but the image of Percy laying in the serene sea with a tear rolling down his cheek sprung into her mind, it made her heart choke within her chest like Lord Dionysus had taken one of his grape vines and smoothly wrapped it around her heart, slowly squeezing it till the pain sprung tears within her brown eyes.

The image made her more determined. She could do this, for Percy. She breathed in and steeled herself for what was about to come.

She walked to the centre of the throne room, once again amazed with the beauty of Olympus and bowed with her head down.

Chatter filled the room, as the deities were shocked at the display.

Zues growled, 'Silence!' as he and the other Olympians on the council regarded the woman who bowed down amongst them, paying her respects to every god and goddess in that room.

He asked her, 'former lieutenant of Artemis, why is it you acknowledge all of us instead of just your lady?'

Zoë breathed in and answered honestly whilst remaining in the position of bowing to the deities. 'Because Lord Zues, once I have addressed the purpose of this meeting today, my lady may not want me bowing down to her.'

Her heart once again throbbed at that possibility happening as the deities all exchanged glances. Wondering what could this woman possibly say that would make Artemis - the one who had mourned this woman's death for months - not want to have her respect, not even wanting her acknowledging her?

As the deities pondered over this, the maiden goddess of the hunt regarded her former lieutenant with interest. Her silvery yellow eyes, which looked like the moon were sharp and dangerous as they watched her finest huntress in the throne room.

She calmly demanded her to rise.

Zoë's breath hitched and she rose slowly, Artemis summoned a chair for her and she sat upon it. She was seated in the middle, where all the gods and goddesses could watch her and she was starting to squirm but she knew that she had to maintain her composure.

The lord of the dead who grew tedious of endless chatter asked the question that every deity was curious about. 'Why was this meeting called for Zoë Nightshade? What is the reason for the secret clause being cashed in?'

This clause that many did not know about – which was why it was a secret – was something that those within Elysium had. If a hero in Elysium had concerns regarding the living world, they were able to cash in their clause, which resulted in a meeting with the Olympian Council. You are then to discuss the reasoning behind why you are cashing in your clause and once all has been said the council determines what sort of action will be taken. And the action that is needed to be taken can even be, that the hero within Elysium with concerns is given the breath of life - where they are able to be bought back to life for a short time in order to sort out their concerns or in special cases some are bought back indefinitely.

'Percy Jackson.'

This caused a tumult amongst the deities. Each of them wondering why this _huntress_ wanted to be bought back to life for Perseus.

After all they all knew and were secretly concerned for their hero due to the state his was in after the battle of Manhattan.

'Why is Perseus Jackson's wellbeing concerning for _you_ that you require the breath of life?'

The room was silent and you could hear the crackling of the hearth as they waited for her response.

Aphrodite having felt numerous strong love waves but as not sure who from, finally understood as her mind pieced everything together. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped at the knowledge. She could not believe that she had not noticed! Everything the son of Poseidon had done since she visited him last on the quest for Artemis till now. It was so blatantly obvious now that she thought about it. And if she were to admit it, this pairing was by far much better than Percabeth – Percy and Annabeth.

At hearing the goddess of Love gasp, Zoë knew that she had figured it out and answered, 'Because I am in love with him.'

Silence.

Not a single thing could be heard from the quiet that had enveloped within the throne room as they were stunned by the information.

Poseidon, who grew tired of not knowing the full details of this woman and her relationship with his son demanded, 'Explain.'

Zoë suddenly became very nervous, after all here was the father of the man she loves and he did not sound too happy. She began to ramble as she started to explain her relationship with Percy and her concerns for him.

She talked about how she first despised him, thinking that he was like any other _boy_ but as she grew to know more about him she fell in love with him. She told them about the night that they expressed their love for one another, knowing she could not leave out one detail as she discussed this with the Olympians and finally about her death and how Percy was blaming himself for it as well as the deaths of others that he cared for. She looked up as she finished, pleading, 'Please. Let me help him. If he continues to carry on like this he will self-destruct and will eventually hurt himself or worse. Please.'

Poseidon stared at the woman who had stolen his son's heart without anyone knowing, not even the goddess of Love who was very nosy when it came to this certain emotion.

He felt hope build within him and his sea green eyes that displayed his emotions so clearly, lightened as he thought that this woman could help his son. A tiny smile played across Poseidon's lips and he felt as if finally there was a way he could help his son. He will aid to bring this woman back to life. If it meant bringing his favourite son happiness?

Then yes. He would.

Two of the Big Three, Zeus and Hades watched as if a weight had been lifted of their brother's shoulders. His sea green eyes that usually were as dark as Tartarus were light and sparkling whilst a smile played on his lips. The two brothers shared a glance in relief, for the past month they did nothing but worry about their brother due to his distress over his son. And if the two brothers were honest, they too were worried about the Hero Of Olympus after all he was their nephew and had helped them both, as well as their entire family so much.

They were in debt to Percy Jackson, a fact that not only they but many of the deities did not quite like but respected it either way. They both agreed that that this woman could not only help their nephew but their brother too. Therefore agreeing to her request.

And as they went around the throne room all the deities too voted for Zoë to live once more as they believed that throughout everything Perseus Jackson had gone through in his life, he deserved this.

However as they all agreed to this decision, one deity was quiet throughout all this. Her sharp yellow, silver eyes remained locked on Zoë and her face was blank of any emotion.

No one could read what she thought, she was a closed book and everyone was waiting with baited breath as to what she would say. After all Artemis was greatly known as the goddess who couldn't stand betrayal. And the breaking of the sacred hunter vow was something Artemis counted as betrayal and took it very close to her heart.

However, at this time, Artemis didn't say a word, she did not unleash her wrath and nor did she let her temper be unleashed.

Zoë closed her eyes and waited for her lady – depending if she could still call her that – to speak. She was grateful for all the gods and goddesses who had voted for her life; however, if she was honest Artemis was the only deity that Zoë wanted an answer from.

Artemis let a small smile dance amongst her lips before her poker face was once again firmly set on her face. She began to speak with the most quiet and calm voice, which set fear in not only Zoë but many of the deities in the room.

'Did you think I would not know? I am a maiden goddess and I have seen many of my hunters been lead astray by _boys. _I can see it before you; yourself would know that you have broken your vow. So, did you really think that I would not know that my supposed most loyal huntress, my lieutenant, the one I trusted the most had fallen in love? Need I remind you, the communication of words through tapping ones wrist was taught to you by me. Did you think I would not notice when you and your love were saying goodbye? Your confidence in me, my dear, overwhelms me.' She spoke all this calmly and quiet, ever so often making Zoë flinch and look down.

'Look at me Zoë.'

She looked up, her eyes betraying her as they displayed her various emotions that she so clearly wanted to hide. However, these emotions that Artemis read so easily from her former lieutenant were what made her eyes soften.

'My dear, all these centuries, you were my most loyal huntress; I did not fear you being lead astray by boys as your hatred of them was to rival mine. You despised them with every fibre in your being. The fact that Perseus was able to take on your hatred, gain your respect and finally earn your heart was what shocked me the most but was also what awed me. He must have had resiliency, persistence and must have loved you a lot. I may not approve completely on your broken vow, however, I do approve of your man. For Perseus is no _boy, _he is a man and he has gained my respect. If he makes you happy then I approve of this affair and shall not punish you for your betrayal' - as she spoke her eyes showed Zoë just how much she cared about her – 'And the state he lives in at this time is not healthy. Your presence in his life is what will help him. So I shall vote for your life.'

Zoë grinned, displaying just how happy she was. Her lady was voting for her life and did not hate her, which overjoyed the young woman.

'However, whatever the outcome may be' – she shot a feral and dangerous smirk at Zoë – 'your love should remember, if he turns out to be like those _boys_ that I have come to despise throughout millennia's then Perseus will be the first ever godling to ever face my full and entire wrath. And that is not a threat, that is a promise.'

Zoë nodded and shared a devious smirk with her lady. But if one was to read what Zoë was sharing with her lady, they would see that she was extremely grateful for the goddess's acceptance.

'So, it has been decided, Ms Nightshade shall return to the realms of the living in order to help our young hero and' - however, the Lord of the Sky was cut off as beautiful gusts of gold dust descended within the throne room, leaving the appearance of three powerful ladies.

The Fates.

The room was silent and tense; the fates never interfered in such affairs of the gods. And if the deities were to let go of their pride, they would admit that they were scared of the power these women possessed. The power to destroy any one of them.

And as The Fates appeared into the throne room their eyes locked onto Zoë. There voices blended together in harmony as they spoke to the former lieutenant of Artemis. 'Your fate has once again begun with the choice of the breath of life. However be sure to remember daughter of Atlas, your fate now contains many struggles and soon enough a choice will be given to you. Your choice will affect various individuals and will become the fundamental steps to not only your future but your hero's. Choose wisely when the time comes.' – they turned to face the Olympians just as Zoë was about to question them about this 'choice' – 'and when her time comes be sure that none of you will let your pride, arrogance and anger lead you or you will be leading yourself and civilization as we know it to its downfall.'

One again the emotion of shock spread throughout the room as the fates flashed out. Each of them wondering exactly what the future could entail and the fact that the future could very much be determined by this one woman's decision and their reaction to it. They silently debated their decision of allowing Zoë to once again live but they knew that if they denied it they would have to face the fates, something that none of them wanted.

So as Zoë Nightshade received the breathe of life to help her love she did not realise exactly what this would mean for not only now but for the near future too.


End file.
